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FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
100-189320-2 Oklahoma City ltr. to Bureau 3-31-44 Re: CHURCH OF THELMA [sic], also known as ORIENA TEMPLUS ORIENTUs [sic]. O.T.O. (phonetic) SECURITY MATTER — G
[Redacted], who is connected with the Oklahoma Dept. of Health, gave the following info. re. to the Church of Thelma which he states is also known as O.T.O. and Oriena Templus Orientus (phonetic).
[Redacted] stated that in June or July of 1940 he was approached by Miller's Bar, Long Beach, Calif, by the Bartender, [Redacted], and invited to a party to be held over the weekend.— to be held at 1003 South Orange Grove, Pasadena, Calif.
After his arrival at the Orange Grove Address, [Redacted] learned that what he thought was to be a weekend party was actually a meeting of a cult known as "The Church of Thelma." During the course of the weekend, [Redacted] was initiated into this Order and states that he does not recall anything of the initiation proceedings except that all of the participants had all their clothes removed and they word robes for the occasion. Prior to the proceedings [Redacted] was given a glass of liquor which apparently was drugged thus causing him not to remember much of the proceedings. On this occasion [Redacted] spent 2 days and nights in the house used by the Order where he met approx. 40 or 50 members.
The house at 1003 South Orange Grove is said to be occupied by one Jack Parsons who is a chemist and supposedly working in a defense plant in Pasadena during the day and doing some work in his own lab. at this address at night. Parsons is said to be connected with the U. in Pasadena.
W. T. Smith [Wilfred Talbot Smith] is said to be the head of the organization in Calif. at the present time. He is assisted by [Redacted] and [Redacted]. There is said to be a girl named [Redacted] who is apparently the concubine for the organization.
There is also a man whose first name is [Redacted] [Karl Germer] who is a German Alien, and who is now said to be in NYC organizing for the Order. [Redacted] was at one time supposed to have been a professor in Berlin. Orders for the activities of this organization are received from Sir. Aleister Crowley, London, England.
The Church of Thelma recruits as a fraternal "order" under this name and published a book called "The Book of the Law" which book tears down everything democracy stands for. This book preaches that whatever one desires to do is the proper thing to do.
[Redacted] advised that he received ltrs. from W. T. Smith while he was in the Army requesting some military info. He also received a ltr. from a man named [Redacted] who is said, at the present time, to be in training as a Naval officer in Albuquerque, NMex. In this ltr. [Redacted] stated that as members of the Order they must keep quiet at the present time but that a time would come when they would be able to speak up.
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